15 years later: Be Careful What You Wish For
by AdmiralSilver
Summary: 15 years after the war, Katara finds her life monotonous. Until two things happen that put her life in peril and may change the world forever. Is a man who claims to be possessed by an evil spirit lord telling the truth? Or has he lost his mind? R&R plz.
1. The Warship

Notes: Enjoy and review! This chapter has just been revised. Although I have written other fanfics, this is my first and if you want to be able to understand my other stories, you MUST read this whole story first. Thank you for reading.

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Katara woke that day knowing that Aang wouldn't be there. He was in the Fire Nation

visiting schools and giving speeches to the students, who he cared for very much after he had seen the ways that they had used to be taught during the war. It had been almost fifteen years since the war had ended and Katara was missing the danger in her life. She knew it was crazy, but she wanted something bad to happen so that things wouldn't be so terribly boring. Since her childhood it seemed that the world was doomed to be… normal. She missed the action, the adventure, and most definitely the feeling you got when you didn't know if you were going to live or die, the adrenaline pumping through your veins. But that was all over now.

Sokka had married Suki seven years after he had freed her from a maximum security fire nation prison. They had four children since then. And Suki was expecting another in a few months.

Aang had married Katara only two years ago, because he had a lot of Avatar business to

attend to. He had even asked for her father's blessing. Sokka was overjoyed when Aang had told him he was going to propose. At first Katara had come with Aang on his many trips and speeches. But this time he told her that it would be better if she stayed, and for a very important reason. It was for that reason she woke up so early that morning to talk to Sokka. She and Aang had decided long and hard about where they would live when things settled down, and had finally decided on the little village where it all started. Where Katara had first met the little boy with the strange tattoos. Where the legend had begun…

It seemed that if the whole world had changed the day Zuko took over as emperor of the Fire Nation. Peace treaties were written between all three nations, though there were still some hard feelings. Toph went to live with her parents, and was doing very well as an earth bending teacher at her own school that she had set up for young earthbenders to learn from the master. Tuition was not a problem as she let even the poorest children in if they showed remarkable talent.

Sokka also settled down in his home village. Which wasn't as small as it used to be as

waterbenders from the north had settled there in the past decade, bringing waterbending back to the South Pole.

She saw Suki talking to one of the elders named Haana who had come from the North Pole. She was talking about the move.

Yes, Suki and Sokka were going to travel all the way to Kyoshi, Suki's home, which she

hadn't been to in over fifteen years and missed deeply. Although Sokka loved his home in

the South Pole, he had told Katara that Suki wanted to raise their children somewhere

less…cold, Not that she didn't like the Water Tribe, but she missed her home.

Katara wished she could go with them, just so she could experience travel and excitement

again, too see someplace new. She loved the South Pole as much as Sokka but after saving the world with Aang she realized that there where many other places to go and things to see.

She would be sure to talk to Aang about it as soon as got back.

"How are you Katara?" Suki asked her as she finished chatting with the elder.

"Fine," she lied; she had not been feeling well lately, physically or emotionally. "How are you?'

"I could be better," She laughed. "It's a little chilly and I'm a whale."

Katara laughed with her. It didn't feel that chilly to her, and Suki was wearing layers. Katara looked out at the ice, white as far as the eye could see. She had always found it beautiful, but now it seemed plain and monotonous.

"Where's Sokka?" She asked.

"On a fishing trip trying to teach a few teenagers the best way to spear a fish." Suki said.

"I'm sure he'll learn more than he teaches." Katara chuckled. Sokka never changed. He was still the goofy guy everyone loved. Even Suki questioned whether he would ever grow up, but she found it…interesting.

"We are leaving in two weeks." Suki told her when she finished laughing.

"Why two weeks?"

"It's going to take awhile for the preparations to be in order, it's a long trip." There was a long pause, and Katara knew that Suki was thinking the same thing she was.

Katara spent the next hour teaching a few children who could waterbend. The youngest was only six but most of them were eleven or twelve. As she was demonstrating how to push and pull the water she suddenly felt nauseous and had to take a break. It was then that Sokka arrived. He was back from the fishing trip, and by the look on his face he hadn't caught any fish.

"Katara!" he laughed, "You have to hear this!" He laughed, but then saw Katara's face.

"What's wrong?"

"Can I talk to you Sokka?" She asked.

"Sure."

They walked to where a few penguins were playing in the snow, sliding on their bellies. It reminded Katara of her childhood. Which she now knew was long gone.

"Sokka I'm…"

But Sokka wasn't listening; he seemed to be preoccupied with something else in the distance. And his face looked worried, almost scared.

"Sokka!" She yelled, "What are you looking a…" She stopped. Because in the sky was a huge plume of smoke

She had wished for danger, and she would get it.

In a few minutes Katara and Sokka had gone to the village wall and looked out onto the water, and were shocked to see a ship coming towards the village. The ship was coming to the village, steam pouring out of the smokestacks. It looked menacing even from a distance, its long, sleek metal body pushing through the water closer and closer to the village. At first she didn't know what to do. Fire navy ships hadn't been in

these waters since… well…

Katara remembered the time when Zuko's ship had rammed into the village, looking for

Aang. For a second she feared that it was happening again, but she told herself that the war was over, that she had no need to worry. But she knew better than that. Fire navy ships were no longer allowed in these waters since Aang had set up a treaty stating that no foreign vessel could breach a nations waters without proper consent. And yet there it was, coming closer with each passing second.

Sokka sounded the alarm and got the warriors prepared for battle, just in case. Most of them were only teenagers who had never fought before. Katara saw the faces of the scared women and children as they huddled together. Waiting for the ship.

Waiting for what would happen next…

TBC


	2. Karu Arrives

In a rather unfortunate turn of events, chapter two was deleted during a rewriting process when I was refurbishing this story. So, as you can guess, I had to start again, from scratch. So here it is, I tried to rewrite it the best I could. Plz review! I'm truly sorry about this! Also, if you have never read my work before, when you are finshed with al six chapters of this, read the sequel, 15 years later: The Order of the Orchid. It's much more mature than this and realistic. But that's okay because this was my first fanfic.

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The ship came closer and closer. And Katara knew it wasn't going to stop, it was going to ram the wall. The watchman cried out for everyone to move back as the ship picked up speed. Katara was entirely sure now that it wasn't just a trading ship that got lost in a storm.

Katara and Sokka ran down the steps just as it hit the wall, sending the watchmen flying. The people of the tribe watched in horror as a metal ladder was lowered from the ship. It seemed like an eternity before six men walked down it. The man in the lead was short and wiry. He had red hair and a beard, and carried himself with great dignity. The villagers moved away as he approached with his five soldiers, who were fully clad in armor. The man seemed to have an aura of menace, and something wasn't quite right about the way he smiled.

"What are you doing here?" Sokka said gruffly, pointing his sword at the man. The man looked down at the sword and chuckled. And then, to Katara's horror, he did a complex fighting move and knocked Sokka's sword to the ground and twisted his arm.

"My name is Karu." He said, an edge of malice in his voice. "Now, you're going to tell me this, where is the Avatar's wife? Where is Katara? You have three seconds to answer."

Katara gasped as she heard him say this.

"And what if I-" Sokka said, but was cut off as Karu chuckled.

Karu snapped his fingers, letting go of Sokka's arm, and one of the soldiers grabbed Suki and held a knife to her neck. She cried out in alarm as the man put his hand over her mouth.

"Or that."

Katara stepped forward as Sokka tried to get up and strike Karu, but was forced back to the ground.

"I'm Katara." She said, "What do you want?"

"I'm going to need you to come with me." He said, "You don't really have much choice…" His gaze turned to the man holding Suki.

"If I come with you, will you leave this village alone?"

"NO!" Sokka yelled, "Katara don't-"

"It's the only way!" She said, "They have Suki."

Karu smiled evilly. He picked Sokka up off the ground and whispered into his ear.

"_Tell the Avatar that I've taken her to the Island if Kishui. Tell him to come alone, or otherwise, she dies. And tell him that it's… personal…_

Karu let go of Sokka and turned to Katara.

"Come." He said, and two of the soldiers grabbed Katara and dragged her toward the ship. The soldier let go of Suki, and she fell to the ground. Sokka ran over to her and helped her up, and they both watched as the men took Katara to the ship. Instead of a Fire Navy emblem, the ship's flag had a strange symbol of a flower on it…

Katara looked back at the village, and wondered if it would be the last time she would see it. Obviously these people were enemies of Aang's, and they had kidnapped her for some sort of trap.

Once on the ship, she was thrown into a cell. She fell asleep after a few hours of thinking about her predicament. When she woke up, there was a boy with a tray of food. He was short and red haired like Karu. She wondered if he might be his son. She shuddered at the thought and finally realized what had just happened to her. The full impact of the situation hit her like a brick.

_I've been kidnapped._

"What's your name?" She asked, not knowing wat else there was to say in her predicament. She was helpless. And besides that, she was feeling queasy again.

"K…Kuzar." He said.

"Is Karu your father?"

He nodded, too shy to speak. Katara almost felt bad for him.

"People call me Kazoo." The boy said suddenly. He seemed less shy.

"Why is that?"

"It's a long story." He said.

"Well, I certainly have the time." Katara answered. She couldn't believe that this was really happening to her. Kuzar explained to her why he was called Kazoo, and they both chuckled. Then he left with a sad look on his face with the tray.

_What that boy must be going through. His father kidnapped me to set a trap for Aang and took him along for the ride. Who would do that? _

She thought back a few weeks, to when she had found out something that had changed her life forever.

She had been going to see Haana, because Haana was the village healer and she hadn't been feeling well lately. As soon as she had entered the tent, Haana had gasped in surprise.

"Oh, I see, you are with child."

Katara had looked at her incredulously.

"What?"

"I said you are with child. Are you deaf?"

"No… how did you-"

"I'm an aura reader, don't ask what that is. Let's just say that I knew the minute you came in. Actually, I've known for days…"

"Known what?"

"That you are with child! Aren't you listening to a thing I've been saying?"

"I don't believe it…"

"Well you'd better. This isn't exactly the first time this has ever happened you know."

And so that was how it had ended up. Katara had told Aang, and they were both happy. Aang had told her that it would be best if she stayed in the South Pole instead of coming with him to the Fire Nation. She had thought he was just concerned about her well being, but now…

_Aang, _She suddenly thought, _What's going to happen when he comes back and I'm not there? He's going to come straight for me. And then what? What if these men have a trap or an ambush set up? _

Katara worried about these things in her cell, while in the South Pole, Sokka wondered the same exact thing.

TBC

Notes: Sorry if it isn't exactly what the version I accidently deleted was, but I tried to remember as much as I possibly could. Plz review!


	3. Katara's Absence

Notes: Thank you to all the people who reviewed this story, as it is my first Fanfiction, (You can probably tell…) If you like supernatural please R&R my sister's story, her name is Mysteriousrose16. Thanks again! Also, sorry about Hakoda, as you can see, I forgot him in the beginning and had to have him come back from a long absence. Please forgive me.

Katara's father, Hakoda, had been on a yearlong trip to the sister tribe and had missed his children deeply since he had left. He had also gone to obtain some waterbending scrolls from the North Pole that some of the waterbenders at his home in the south needed badly.

The first thing he noticed was that there was a large dent in the ice of the village wall. It seemed as if a large chunk had fallen off or had been broken off of the wall. He hoped that the village hadn't been attacked. But how could it have been? Then again, everything was so quiet…

When he entered the village, he knew something was wrong. There were no smiling faces, no one running to him to ask him how he'd been. Everyone was just standing there.

"Dad!" Sokka yelled. Now that was what he wanted to hear. At least someone was glad he was back.

"Granddad!" yelled a small voice. It was Yue, Sokka's eldest daughter, who was running towards him. Except she wasn't smiling, she wasn't laughing, or even happy to see her Grandfather who had been gone for a year. She was crying. That was when he knew that something had gone wrong.

"Oh, Granddad! It was terrible! These strange men came and took Auntie Katara away! And they hurt mommy!"

Hakoda brushed the tears off her face.

"What men?" he asked. And then Sokka came over and explained the whole story. Hakoda said nothing; he hardly had anything to say. He was in complete shock. Then he spoke.

"When did this happen?"

"Yesterday."

"Did he say anything else?"

"Only to tell Aang to meet him at some island, alone."

"It sounds like a trap."

"It is." Sokka said. No one talked for a few more minutes. Hakoda noticed Suki, who he could see was pregnant, again.

"What can we do?"

"Nothing," he sighed, "He probably meant what he said, and all we can do is wait for Aang to come back."

Katara woke in the cell after hardly sleeping her first night on the ship. The constant tossing and turning and the reality that was sinking in had kept her awake half the night. Kuzar brought her a meal.

"After you finish, my father would like to speak to you."

Katara choked on her food.

"Why?"

"He said he had some things that he needed to make clear to you." Kuzar replied. He sat down on the floor. "He wasn't always like this you know. Once he was a good man, but that was before my mother died." Katara gasped.

"When did it happen?"

"Two years ago." He choked, "She got sick. You see, my father was a very rich man. He always said that there were three things he loved, My mother, his money, and me. When she got sick, my father got the best doctors in the Fire Nation to help her, but even they couldn't save her.

"Then, when she died, my father fell into a deep depression. He started doing strange rituals and hanging out with the wrong people." Kuzar stopped and stared at the floor.

"Then what?" Katara asked.

"Then he spent the rest of our money on this ship, and became obsessed with finding the Avatar and killing him. He even found other people, evil people, who agreed with his ideas."

"Do you know why?"

"No," Kuzar said, shaking his head, "I don't, it just happened all of a sudden. One second we were living at our beach house, and the next he told me I was to be pulled out of school and live on a ship."

Katara felt even worse for the boy now. He had spent two years on a ship chasing his father's demented dreams. Suddenly a guard stepped into the room.

"The Captain is ready to see you."

Katara was led to the captain's quarters by the guard. It was a large room with an antique table and chairs nailed to the floor. On the wall were not maps, but paintings of unusual scenes depicting strange creatures in an odd world. Karu was sitting at the end of the table, his hands folded together. The look in his eyes betrayed nothing about he way he felt or what he was about to say.

"Hello Katara, please sit down." The ship lurched as he said this. Katara sat down, not daring to disobey.

"My son has fed you?" He said, saying it as though Katara were an animal.

"Yes."

"You're probably wondering why I called you here, aren't you?"

Katara nodded.

"I just wanted to make some things clear to you. First, your husband is going to die."

Katara said nothing, but was unnerved at the confidence in his voice.

"Second, I am not Karu."

Katara didn't register what she had just heard.

"Kuzar's father sold his body to me in a ritual so that he could see his wife again, for an hour. Of course he didn't think about his son, he just did it out of pain. When she died, he desperately tried to find a way to speak with her again, and as he didn't believe in the afterlife, he came to me. I spoke to him in his mind and drove him to it, convinced him that seeing his wife again was more important than his son."

Katara couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Then who are you?"

"I am he who takes the souls of the innocent. I am he who causes chaos, I am he who makes pain and carves anger. I am he who causes one brother to strike another. I am evil. I have no name."

By now Katara was sure that Karu was insane. His wife's death had driven him to the edge, and now he was going to kill Aang just because he thought he was some sort of all mighty sprirt?

"But my plan is not just to kill Aang," he continued, "My plan is to use you to cause him to enter the Avatar state, and then end the cycle. By destroying him I will forever end the cycle of the avatars, and the line between the spirit world and this will be broken, and I will be the ultimate ruler."

He spoke with such vile and anger that Katara almost believed him.

"Why are you telling me this?" Katara asked. If he was speaking the truth, which she was sure he wasn't, why was he telling her?

"Because you will not live much longer anyway."

Katara stood up.

"You think you're a ruler, but really your just a little crazy man who wants to ruin the world for everyone else just so he can feel happy about his loss!"

"Take her away!" Karu yelled at the guard, and she was taken roughly back into her cage.

Back in Katara's home village, Sokka saw Aang, flying on Appa, coming towards the village to land. All of the villagers gathered together to see him. He climbed off Appa with Momo, who was a very old lemur, his fur turning grey and a bit of hair missing from the end of his tail.

"Katara's been kidnapped." Sokka said to Aang as he looked around for Katara.

"How?" Aang looked serious and angry.

"A Fire Navy ship came yesterday and took her. She went willingly to save the village. A man named Karu was in charge. He wants to meet you at Kishui Island. Alone."

"How could I let this happen?" Aang yelled. Just as many miles away, in the open sea, Katara began to cry.


	4. Imprisoned

Notes: Sorry about the wait but my ego dropped a little after only getting one review for chapter three and losing 1 subscriber. Please review!!!

"What do you mean you let this happen?" Sokka answered, "It wasn't your fault."

Aang pounded the snow with his fists.

"Yes it was!" He yelled as Sokka stared at him, "I knew it was going to happen!"

Sokka looked at Aang with a confused look.

"What do you me-" Aang cut him off.

"I received a threat the last time I was in the Fire Nation that someone was going to kidnap Katara. I didn't believe it, but I left Katara here just in case after…" Aang stopped.

"After what?"

"She didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

Aang couldn't bring himself to say it. The woman he loved who was carrying his son or daughter was on a ship miles away in the middle of the ocean somewhere. Who knew what they were doing to her.

Tears streamed down his face.

"I gave them what they wanted." He whispered as his tears fell to the ground. Using waterbending, he took them off and froze them into a heart. It began to melt in his palm.

Yue walked over to him and put her small, gloved hand on his shoulder.

"Your going to save her, aren't you?" She asked.

"Of course he is," A sudden voice said that made everyone turn to see who it was who had disturbed such an emotional moment. It was Haana.

"None of the other Avatars got anywhere by just sitting and crying. They began heroes by their actions."

Aang stood up.

"You're right," he said, brushing the tears off his face, "I have to go."

Sokka put his hand on Aang's shoulder.

"What if there's an entire army waiting for you? It is a trap after all."

"Then I'll give them what they came for." He answered, and with that Aang got on Appa and flew off without another word as Hakoda, Sokka, Suki, Yue, Haana, and the other villagers watched him fly farther away until they could no longer see him.

He was headed for Kishui Island.

And so was Katara.

"What did my father tell you?" Kuzar asked her as she finished the meal he had brought her. She didn't answer; she couldn't let him know that his father was a lunatic. Then again, he probably had figured that out by now. Instead, she tried to change the subject.

"So Kazoo," She began, in a feeble yet spirited attempt at small talk, "How long?"

"How long what?"

"Until we, you know, get to the island."

He looked surprised that Katara would want to bring that up.

"Oh, at least a day. The ship's been going full speed and we haven't run into any major storms." He frowned. "I'm afraid of what the Avatar will do to my father."

"What do you mean?" Katara asked, aware that the conversation had drifted back to Karu.

"He doesn't have an army waiting at the island. He wants to fight him himself."

Katara couldn't believe what she was hearing. If she had any doubts that Karu was insane before, she surely didn't now. Unless Karu was some sort of extraordinarily gifted firebender master he wouldn't stand a chance. She hoped Aang would go easy on him and maybe he could go somewhere to get the help he obviously needed. But what about Kuzar? She looked at him sadly.

Aang had memorized every island in the Fire Nation and had only heard of Kishui Island a few times. It was deserted and no one had set foot on it's beaches in centuries. People said that it was cursed and there was a legend involving a past Avatar.

He wondered what Katara was thinking right now. Did she miss him? Was she being tortured? Was she alive? He tried to shove the last question from his mind. They had no reason to harm her. They needed her as bait. Or did they? Karu had already told Sokka where he was going. They didn't need her anymore.

Aang forced himself to stop thinking about this. It hurt too much to even imagine. He wondered how long it would take to reach the island. It could be days! He would have to stop eventually because he had no supplies. Why didn't he bring any! He was angry with himself for just leaving in a huff. Now he had to face nothing but open sea on the way. That meant no stops. No food. No water.

He pondered going back, but only for a second. He couldn't waste anymore time. Katara needed him NOW! But would he even have the energy for the task ahead? Yes, he told himself. He was the Avatar. He could do anything.

Katara was worrying about Aang that very moment also. Was he angry? Scared? Sad? Was he even back yet? What if he never came for her?

That was silly, she told herself. Aang would come rescue her. She looked Kuzar in the eyes.

"When this is over, if we make it out," she said, "Would you like to live with us?" Where did that come from?

Kuzar was in too much shock to speak.

"Me, live with… would you?" He smiled, but then. "But my Dad…"

"Don't worry about him." She said in a calming voice. "What do you say?"

Kuzar didn't say anything, because Karu was right behind him, fists clenched.


	5. The Encounter

Notes: This is the Finale. The spirit is referred to only as It. I originally wanted Karu to have been taken over gradually without a ritual, but its too late to change that, so pick which one you like the best.

The look on his face was odd to Katara. His expression was not of anger, sadness, surprise, or any other emotion. His expression was neutral, as if he couldn't care less.

"Having a little tea party, are we?" he said smoothly. He looked at Katara and then at Kuzar. He raised his bushy eyebrows. "Talking like children when your very lives are in danger? I admire that."

Kuzar turned to face his father.

"Why are you doing this? She never did anything to you! The Avatar never did anything to you!" He looked at his feet, expecting his father to be angry.

Karu just smiled.

"Maybe not Aang, but one of his previous reincarnations did, I believe his name was Hitosu. He banished me to the far reaches of the spirit world two thousand years ago. I've had two thousand years to perfect my plan, two thousand years fighting through the darkness. Two thousand years to hate him."

Kuzar looked at his father as if he were an alien being.

"What are you talking about Dad"?

"I'm not your father. Your father's spirit is gone. I am in full control now."

Katara saw Kuzar's face turn white as his father said these ludicrous words. Karu left.

"Kuzar, I…"

"I thought… he … He's not himself anymore." Kuzar sobbed and tears fell down his face as he left the room. Leaving Katara in her cell, alone. She tried to imagine what would happen when they got to the island. Would Aang be there? She thought. Yes, he would be there waiting, ready to take Katara in his arms and save Kuzar from his demented father. Thinking these things, she fell into a deep sleep.

When she awoke, there was a guard standing in front of her cell.

"Get up." He grunted, "We have arrived."

For a second Katara wondered how much he was being paid to do the things that Karu told him without question, but the guard opened the cell and roughly grabbed her and carried her over his shoulder onto the deck. He was nothing more than a criminal who sought to be paid for his services. He didn't mind Karu's strange orders, because to him, having the Avatar gone would probably be a good thing.

Karu stood in front of her when she was put down. She was too tired to fight.

"Ah, hello Katara, would you just look at the view."

Katara looked and saw that they had arrived on the island. But it was different than any island she had ever seen. The sand that covered the beach was black as coal. It reminded her of death.

"Now," Karu said, "We just wait for you-know-who to arrive."

Katara saw Kuzar standing fifteen feet away from his father, staring at the deck.

She breathed. Katara hadn't smelled fresh air in days. But the air around the island was smoky and bitter, not fresh and tropical. She coughed.

Karu had his guards set up two tents for Katara and him. He then posted two guards outside the tent. But she wasn't even thinking of escaping. Instead, She thought of how odd the situation she was in really was. She wondered how Aang was doing.

Aang wasn't doing well. He hadn't eaten in over a day and Appa was nearly falling asleep. Even when he was younger he had still needed a daily break and some food.

That was when he saw it, unmistakably, unless his mind was playing tricks on him. The Island of Kishui was there; he could see it in the distance. In a few hours time he would arrive, but could Appa make it that long? Momo crawled into Aang's lap, his belly growling for food. It was almost morning and the sun would rise any minute.

"Just a little while longer." He said. He was tired and hadn't slept since he had left the South Pole. He allowed himself to sleep, but only for a few minutes, he told himself. Just a few minutes…

He awoke a half hour later to realize that Appa had fallen asleep and was falling towards the sea! Aang frantically pulled on the reins. The island was in sight, so he hadn't gone off course, but that wouldn't matter if they were underwater!

"Wake up!!" Aang yelled as the ocean came closer and closer. Appa woke up just as his feet touched the waves and launched himself into the air with a roar. Aang knew that if he hadn't woken up when he had, he would have been a goner. The sun hadn't risen yet.

Karu watched the whole dramatic scene through a telescope. He grinned as the sky bison launched itself into the air again. He hadn't come all this way for nothing.

But Karu hadn't come.

It had.

The revenge-hungry spirit that had fought its way through nothingness for two thousand years after Hitosu had banished him. It had found the perfect host in Karu. A man who had recently suffered a great loss and was easily possessed, who had access to enough money to carry out its plan. He had convinced him to perform the rituals that had slowly given it power. The Avatar would pay for sending him into the abyss. So what if he was a different one? They were all the same in his opinion. As soon as he finished Aang off he could put his plan into effect, for the universe's new ruler, IT.

Karu smiled.

It smiled.

Standing on the beach where It had been defeated brought back painful memories of the struggle with the airbender, Hitosu. But this time It would be victorious. The Avatar had to be exhausted after two days without rest. That part had been the last addition to the plan. It had no idea that the Avatar was married until Karu had told him. Karu was useful at first, but when It grew stronger it realized that it could take over his body completely by getting him to perform a simple ritual.

By taking Katara It knew that he would come rushing to save her. It smiled. Revenge, it was such a sweet thing. It had had a lot of fun toying with the emotions of Karu's son and the Avatar's wife. Nothing made it happier than to see others suffer. What that woman must be thinking! It thought as It turned to her tent. It suddenly felt Karu's consciousness trying to fight back, but It stopped the rebellion immediately. Karu you fool, It thought, don't you see that I have already won?

Aang could see the Fire Nation ship. He suddenly felt pure hatred against whoever had kidnapped Katara. The adrenaline pumping through his veins made him forget that he was hungry and tired. If I ever see her again, he thought, No, when I see her again I'll never let her out of my sight. I'll keep her close to me, forever. It was then that he realized the fact that he was going to be a father. Could he fill that role in his child's life if he was constantly traveling? The true burden of being the Avatar suddenly dawned on him. He had to struggle his entire life to be the person that others needed him to be. And now, it was time to see if he was up to that challenge.

Katara woke up in the tent and wondered for a second where she was. Then she remembered. She didn't want to leave the tent and risk it with the guards. But Karu came in and grabbed her arm dragging her out of the tent. She tried to fight back, but he gave her a telescope and pointed to a shape in the distance that was coming closer.

"Look, it's your husband. He's coming to save you, isn't that sentimental?"

Katara said nothing. Aang was here! She smiled, and couldn't help it.

"Nothing witty to say?" Karu asked. "Very well." He walked over to the shore.

Aang was almost to the island when he heard a voice yelling out to him.

"Avatar! What took you so long!"

It was a man on the beach. Aang saw two tents and a few men. This was the army? Aang sighed. It looked nothing like an ambush to him, more like a friendly greeting party.

Katara was pushed into the tent by the guard, but forced her way out. Kuzar had tried to wrestle one of the guards' spears away form him, but was tied to a palm tree. Katara had tried to protect him.

"No," Karu said, "Bring her to me."

The man began dragging her across the beach toward him.

"So, you didn't believe me when I said that I was the ruler of all evil. Well, how about this!"

Suddenly his body began to change. His clothes turned black and became scales. His face elongated and his teeth turned into fangs. His fingernails turned into claws and his legs melded together into a tail. He had turned into a monstrous sea serpent and was heading straight for Aang, his massive clawed arms propelling him through the shallows.

It had saved all of its energy over the course of its plan for this, the final transformation and the last part of his plan. The man who had been dragging Katara dropped his spear and ran to the ship with the other men.

Kuzar could only watch from the tree as his father turned into a monster.

Aang saw the huge creature as he cam to within a hundred yards of the island. The beast lunged at him and Appa dodged its fangs as it nearly ate them.

"Appa! Go to the beach!" Aang yelled as the creature reared back its ugly head and spread its hood. It suddenly shot a huge jet of water from its mouth that hit Appa in the stomach and sent Aang tumbling into the sea. He looked around in the crystal clear water and saw the serpent coming at him like a torpedo. He grabbed hold of one of its whiskers as it shot past. The beast burst out of the water and tried to throw him off, but he didn't let go.

Katara saw It dive back into the water and come back up. This time Aang couldn't hold on and was thrown up in the air. The beast swallowed him whole.

"NO!!" Katara yelled as she ran to the shore. She put her hands in the water and created a giant arm using waterbending, the arm grabbed the serpent's neck. It choked and Aang shot out of its mouth and landed in the water. She then made another fist that hit the creature in the face. It fell into the sea. Aang didn't come back up.

"Aang!" she yelled. "Aang!"

Nothing happened for a few seconds. Appa, who had been flying in circles above the battle, collapsed on the beach, exhausted. Then Katara saw Aang come back up. He swan to the shore, panting.

"Aang! I thought I'd lost you!"

"I thought I'd lost you too." He said. They embraced.

"Hey!" Kuzar yelled from the tree. "A little help!" He had obviously recovered from shock.

They ran over to him.

It swam in circles in the water. Why hadn't the Avatar gone into the state? Hadn't It angered him enough? But what the spirit didn't know was that all those years ago, Aang had never finished theseventh chakra and could never enter the Avatar state.

If it couldn't carry out its plan, it would just have to kill them anyway. It shot towards the beach. But the one fatal flaw in its plan was showing. It hadn't expected Katara to fight back. It should have finished her off when It had the chance.

Aang saw the dark shape moving through the water and pushed Katara out of the way. Kuzar grabbed the spear that the guard had tossed and plunged it into the creature's mouth. Its blood was as black as the sands. Aang shot a fireball into its eye and it reared up, ready to drown them in a torrent of water. But it didn't. Karu was fighting back, and it couldn't fight both at the same time.

Seeing this, Katara knew what was happening for a reason she couldn't explain. She just knew.

"Kuzar, tell your dad to fight it!"

Kuzar understood.

"Dad! Fight it! I believe in you!"

In that instant, the spirit had lost control and the serpent slowly turned back into Karu. He fell into the water.

Aang swam out and brought him back to shore. He wasn't breathing. Katara bended the water out of his lungs and he gasped and gagged.

"Kuzar, my son," he said, "I'm so sorry, the spirit took over me, I-"

"You don't have to explain dad, I'm just glad you're you again."

When they got on the ship with Appa, the men looked at Karu and cringed.

"Don't be afraid." Aang said. "Everything's fine now."

They set sail for the South Pole, and as Aang was looking back at the island he realized he had no idea what had just happened.

"What just-"

"Don't," Katara said. "It's a long story, and I'll have plent of time to tell it to you when we get home."

As they looked back at the island, they watched the black beach turn white as snow.

Well, that's it. I hope you liked it as it was my first Fanfiction. If you think it was too cliff-hangerish tell me in your final review and I'll write the epilogue. Thank you for reading this story out of thousands of others. I do not own avatar, but Karu, Kuzar, Kishui Island, the spirit, Yue, and Hitosu are all my creations. If you really liked it and would like a sequel (That is if you were wondering about those people that Karu had become affiliated with and why the flag had an Orchid on it…)


	6. EPILOGUE

Notes: This is the epilogue and occurs seven months after the story. Sorry about anyone who wanted the reunion. I know it's weird but it is my first story. Thank you for being honest, I really don't know why it's so weird, that's the way it ended up, maybe I rushed it. I'm working on the sequel, 15 years later II: The Order of the Orchid now and it should come out next week.

EN: The beginning is for whoever wondered what happened to the spirit, (It didn't just go away!) It's a little sad but bear with my crazy weirdness please.

When Karu had fought against it, the evil spirit had detached itself from him. As he transformed back into a human, the spirit had become a cloud of black smoke. That cloud now floated between the trees of the island's jungles. The spirit's transformation of Karu into a serpent had taken so much energy that the only shape it could take was a small black cloud of smoke. It spent seven months traveling the island looking for a human host to attach itself to. It was the complete opposite of a symbiotic relationship.

It had gone through the abyss for two thousand years, taken over Karu, convinced him that the rituals that were actually making it stronger were to bring back his wife. Put up with that child for two years and joined an elite force bent on destroying the Avatar, only to leave to fulfill its revenge. And here it was, in the middle of the tropical forest. A deserted forest.

It saw a baby saber toothed moose lion. Desperate and fading, it attached itself to the creature and swiftly took over its body. Animals where so much easier to take over. There were no rules, no ceremonies, no fighting back…

Just then it heard a noise coming from a bush. It was a fox lion, and it had found its supper.

Katara hugged Aang. It was early morning in the village and everyone was just waking up. Her stomach got in the way a little and the hug itself was awkward, but Katara couldn't have been happier. Her life was perfect now. She had her friends, family, and Aang. And then there was her unborn child. She didn't care if it was a boy or girl, she would love either.

Aang was less worried about being a father now. Katara had explained what had happened, but Aang still felt there was something she was holding back from him. The story she told him made no sense and it never would.

Karu and Kuzar had sold the ship and moved into a house on the coast of the Fire Nation. Kuzar had been enrolled in a private school and was doing very well.

Sokka and Suki had welcomed twins into the world four months before, and named them Lee and Bo. They decided to stay in the South Pole.

No matter the strange things that happened, the dangerous climaxes, friendly moments, or seemingly monotonous normal days she had, Katara knew one thing.

Life always goes on.


End file.
